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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. kick — in football
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pass — a permit
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wind — moving air
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — newspapers
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. hand — in cards
  16. press — to push
  17. hand — help
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. last — final
  21. last — to go on
  22. wind — moving air
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. kick — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com